Thehardest challengesusually yield the biggest moments of satisfaction, and the latest entry in theDark Soulsseries games is full of them. The franchise is generally well known for its trend-setting difficulty and memorable bosses, and that reputation was hard-earned, to say the last. Going through all ofDark Souls 3’sbase game and its two DLC packs, we put together a list of the most satisfying bosses to beat.
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Everyone struggles with different bosses, so we’re sticking to the community’s overall picks. Bosses have risen and fallen in difficulty rating as players puzzled out new and inventive ways to take them on over the years, but generally, you may rely on these ten to provide ample challenge and a glorious sensation of accomplishment once they’re dealt with.
10Aldrich, Devourer of Gods
Aldrich comes with a variety of tools in his move set that can catch players off guard, switching between rangedmagic, arrows, and melee. If he opens with melee, stick by him, close to the mid-section of his tail. If Aldrich opens with arrows, walk around until he fires, then continue to hit him since the arrows don’t track you. Be mindful of his teleport, which always will take him to the corner furthest from the player. As long as you see what move set he is about to use, there is still time to react, but the unpredictably and ability to spam attacks leave him deserving of this spot.
9Champion Gundyr
Unlike his lesser form at the starting of the game, Champion Gundyr is relentless and punishing. What makes him so difficult is also what earns him the nickname “Champion Stundyr.” With hard tracking charges and a mixture of quick weapon attacks, punches, kicks, and long drawn out swings, it’s going to be a struggle. He would easily be higher in this list if it weren’t for his abject weakness to parrying. His lunging attacks and his opening attacks in phase one and two can all be parried, providing both ample defense and offense against him.
8Soul of Cinder
While many people find the final boss for the base game to be easy, he punishes greedy players immensely. With the first phase of Soul of Cinder, he switches through different builds and styles, making it difficult to predict. For similar reasons to Aldrich, sometimes the boss will be easy or hard depending on what move set he uses.
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Aside from that, half of its swings can have a follow-up. As soon as he enters phase two, he is essentially an upgraded Gwyn from the firstDark Souls. If you already know how to defeat Gwyn, then the rest of the fight is a breeze.
7Demon Princes
Not manyDark Soulsboss fights throw two enemies at you at once, but this would not be the first time. This boss is an endurance fight, with the player taking on two demons in the first phase before they meld together in the final phase. A goodtrickto make the first phase easier is to beat down on the buffed demon while avoiding the other’s poison. Once the second phase hits, the boss’s attack pattern becomes very aggressive and uses tons of AOE attacks. Make sure to punish the massive windup spell attacks during the final phase to get the most damage.
6Lorian & Lothric, The Twin Princes
The Twin Princes can be totally infuriating. They have a bad habit of teleporting around during the fight, allowing them to strike from different angles. By staying locked onto the boss, you can see this coming more often than not, allowing you to punish the long wind up attack. During the second phase, take it slower and hit his back in between swings, allowing you to damage both princes. Attacking from the front gives the other prince time to revive his brother, which is obviously best avoided.
5Dancer of the Boreal Valley
To best a dancer, you must move like one, and that is the case when facing this boss. The Dancer of the Boreal Valley is known for its high damage output and lots of graceful spinning attacks. For the first phase follow her hip, and when she spins for a slash, you turn around her and slash back. She is the type of boss that can suddenly get aggressive and unleash a flurry of blows with little warning. Stay tight behind her from the first phase to the second where the spins begin. These spinning attacks will not hurt you if you are behind her, except for the final 360-degree spin, so act accordingly.
4Nameless King
It is no surprise that the base game’s true final boss would have made it onto this list. He’s mounted on a dragon for the first phase, flying above you and delaying the fight. Strike the head after the telegraphed attacks and then move on to the real battle. The one on one fight is where thehype behind his difficultyis explained pretty succinctly. Do not dodge when the hit comes, but rather when the attack lands as most of his moves are well telegraphed. Avoiding too early allows the slow ending of his strike to still hit you. Patience and endurance will win this fight, though you’ll need to practice tighter dodges than most bosses in the Souls games.
3Sister Friede & Father Ariandel
With high damage output and three phases, this is an endurance fight through and through. What makes her such a challenge is her incredible speed, almost favoring a comparison toBloodborne. Getting a few hits in between her long hit chains is the best way to punish her aggressiveness. Even when she can be staggered, her recovery time is extremely high. In the second phase, focus on Father Ariandel, and in the third be ready to dodge for your life, because very few of her attacks have counters.
2Slave Knight Gael
Switching between frantic hard-to-predict attacks and long, powerful swings that match the Nameless King, Gael is a monster. Being one of thefinal bosses in the Souls seriesholds a lot of weight, and Gael certainly delivers, seemingly mixing up the Nameless King and even Artorias’s move sets. However, he still brings a lot to the table by mixing in his own unique long dashing attacks. Even though he can be staggered, there is not much you can follow up with. Staggering feels like forcing a small breath before the onslaught continues again. With a shortage of ways to punish him and plenty of ways he can punish you, each swing needs to be delivered with caution.
1Darkeater Midir
Rocking one of the biggest HP bars in Souls history, Midir is quite literally a monster. Sticking close and striking the head forces him to use claw attacks. If you are pushed away from him, it can take a long time to avoid all of his magic to get back up to him. Landing consistent blows on his head has a chance to stagger him, and staggering him allows you to perform a visceral attack on his head. This boss is easily one of themost challenging bossesin the entireSouls seriesand can quickly demolish skilled, high soul level players.
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